Sports minister Richard Caborn has added his backing to the beleaguered British Grand Prix after Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone's stinging attack on the Silverstone circuit.

Ecclestone dismissed Sunday's event as "a country fair masquerading as a world event", raising fears that the race could lose its place in the F1 calendar.

But Caborn has now expressed his confidence that Britain will retain its Grand Prix and maintain its position as the home of the sport.

Caborn told BBC Radio Five Live that Max Mosley, president of motorsport's governing body, the FIA, had been impressed with Silverstone's recent upgrade.

He said: "Max Mosley said that the improvements that have been made now rank Silverstone as one of the best in the world in terms of transportation and getting in and out of the place.

"That is a major move forward and everybody involved should be congratulated on a job well done."

And he added: "I think the event went incredibly well.

"It was just unfortunate that Bernie got caught in an airfield about 10 minutes away."

Caborne also said he was "very sorry" that British Grand Prix boss Rob Bain had resigned in the wake of Ecclestone's attack.

He said of the Octagon Motorsports chief executive: "He played a tremendous role in making sure that the circuit can get headlines saying 'Silverstone makes a golden comeback'.

"That is the sort of headline we saw yesterday and that must be good news for an industry that is worth �5bn and provides 40,000 jobs."

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